I arrived at the House of Blues Cleveland on Friday, March 15thlate into the opener’s act and instantly wished I had made it through those doors earlier. On stage five incredible musicians were in full swing of delivering their craft. Banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass and dobro intricately wove into one another with the voices of each of their handlers mirroring the dance of their instruments. Fireside Collective had been tasked with opening the night of music and they delivered high-energy bluegrass with definitive authority.
As Yonder Mountain String Band took to the stage the room was not instantly enmeshed in musical intensity. Instead, simple and familiar conversation took center stage—instantly disintegrating any preconceived notions of separation between the personalities on stage and the audience before them. Adam’s playful banter, aimed at their beloved sound guy, initiated an atmosphere that embodied a group of friends hanging out, enjoying one another with the promise of plenty of laughter and great music to follow.
When it came time to deliver the first notes of their set, the lighthearted tone of the conversation continued—“There are a number of ways we could start the show, but we’re going to start with some fastbluegrass music.” Into the music they dove with intensity and fever, instantly enlivening the crowd and taking the energy to the next level. Yet when the pauses between songs emerged, so did that same familiarity in interaction both with the audience, as well as between one another.
While the playful style of connection and communication continued to emanate from the band members, so did the passion and mastery of their craft. As they delved into the depths of their musical expression, the inward focus on their exploration was clearly evident. Their movements revealed the manner in which they felt the notes they pulled from their instruments, both within their own bodies and spirits.
The poignant draw of Allie’s fiddle over the driving bluegrass rhythms drew the passion and emotion from the strings of her instrument to those of your heart. The connection, appreciation and support of the members on stage led to an ebb and flow as their attention and physical being would be drawn to surround each individual player as they endeavored into their own solo musical explorations.
What Yonder Mountain String Band delivered at the House of Blues Cleveland that night was far more than simply bluegrass. The tempo of their delivery would wax and wane—highlighting “not fast bluegrass” on numbers such as the brand new song performed by Adam and Dave. They delved into spacey realms of long and intricate jams, punctuated by a pick or strum on the keys that carried the bluegrass essence. And then drawing you back to the familiar, such as when they returned with a striking rendition of Steve Miller Band’s Jet Airliner.
Throughout it all, the members on stage pulled you into an experience led by the notes from their instruments—bringing those instrumental voices alive to tell the story, in between the delivery of lyrics. They drove hard, playing with intensity and fervor for well over two hours with no hint of the waning of energy that I myself felt, simply from consuming the music they delivered. Yonder Mountain String Band brought an impressive stage show to the House of Blues Cleveland delivering a lot more than just music.